Thursday, December 31, 2009

I hope everyone has a prosperous and joy-filled 2010! I've been having a blast on the WiiFit that I actually bought for ds's Christmas (He loves those snowboarding games. Good thing, too, living in the South, that's about how close he's going to get...) but have discovered that it's not nearly as painful as I'd feared. Maybe I can make that resolution stick, even once school starts back Monday.

So, what do you fix for New Year's in your part of the world? Here, pork (we're having smoked babybacks), collards, and hoppin' John (blackeyes with rice) are requirements! I've got some cornbread and sweet potato pie, too.

Anyway, here are my offerings for the week:

Did this for the SCS sketch challenge last week. The Unity stamp is "My, What a Beautiful Tree". The cardinal is from CHF.

I also had to suddenly whip together a gift bag, so I turned to my Ippity:

*Sigh* I hate it when Christmas is over! DS has begged for his small tree to stay up until Epiphany. I was happy to give in.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

I hope everyone has had a lovely holiday. We certainly did! (She said as she attacked yet another serving of rice pudding...) I really should be working on getting word games ready for the new semester, so, of course, I'm making cards!

I knocked out a couple for two challenges:

Here's my Paper Hugs entry!

Should have used the bigger cupcake, but I like seeing the pp, too. The pinks are from Basic Grey.

And here's for Mojo Monday:

Stamp by Verve (Shoestring Alert! - Verve, Unity, Bella, and some others are having a big ol' sale through SCS!)

Thursday, November 26, 2009

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was happy and safe! Now... it's time (at last!) for some fa, la, la, la la! If you, like me, spent this early morning in the mosh pit that is Black Friday, there's no better way to unwind than a little crafting inspiration! If you arrived here from elsewhere, be sure to catch the whole hop through the Unity blog: our Friends with Flair hop

So, here are my projects for the week. I got three cards done after the big meal! (Well, the fronts...)
I try to make sure a few of my holiday cards aren't green and red- my brother is red/green colorblind!

I don't know if you can see, but I did an emboss-resist using clear embossing powser and a silver Dabber. The stamps are Ippity's Kissmas and Mistletoe; I embossed the trees with silver tinsel from Ranger. I used a Martha Stewart border punch - doilies - for the bottom and a bit of lace from The Paper Studio. I used a Spellbinder Nestie to cut the white CS.

Gosh, I wish I was better at getting the photos of these. Maybe one of you all, whose photographs always turn out so prettily, could do a tutorial?

Here's a quickie. I did the background paper by inking up a Cuttlebug embossing folder with silver ink. Used another Nestie to cut the white and popped on some making memories brads.

For the Splitcoast sketch challenge:

Still using that Kissmas and Mistletoe! It's such a versatile set!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Elizabeth

"After all, the best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working."

This is done with "My, What a Beautiful Tree!" I played with the cracked glass technique using Distress Ink. The blue is embossed using a Cuttlebug folder. Basic Grey paper, Bazzill CS. Sentiment is SU and the scalloped circle is cut with Spellbinders. Lace is The Paper Studio.

My favorite Ippity Dude, my fifth-grader, AJ, had been planning a kids' challenge, but it'll be next week. I've got a case of bronchitis, and we need to pick up some kid-friendly blog candy.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Happy Friday, y'all! What a wonderful week... a break in the middle, joining the {Ippity} chicks; life's good! I'm especially excited about {Ippity}! I work on a shoestring budget - I'm a teacher in a non-union state - and this line brings Unity's quality at a price that works for me. (Those sweet sales that Unity's been having lately are working for me, too! Keep 'em coming! :) )

Oh, and while you're here, look at the entry below. We've got a challenge posted, and an {Ippity} set is the blog candy!

So, "Let the wild rumpus start!" There's no better way to start a weekend than with a Friday FWF hop!
Here's my project:

I heat-embossed using black Zing! powder Unity's "Love Ewe" sheep and sentiment. Papers are Basic Grey; cardstock is Bazzill. Stitching with DMC floss, ribbon is grossgrain (it just looks leathery in the photo.)

Monday, November 9, 2009

I've been so crazy-busy with the grade level change, that I've had exactly zero time to scrap, make cards, etc. I've so missed it - I didn't realize how much I really do love doing all of that. I'm finally caught up, and I want to celebrate! I thought I'd do that by posting a card challenge. Here goes:

OK - so I love the Christmas stuff, but, ahem, it's not Thanksgiving yet! (Yeah, you, Wally World!) What we need is a little holiday action between the two...

So - here's the challenge: Create a card for a nontraditional holiday! (I'm feeling International Talk Like a Pirate Day!) Leave a comment and a link to your project by Monday, November 13 at midnight EST. We'll post a winner on Tuesday.

Here's your incentive - I'm giving away one set of the new Ippity stamps by Unity to a random poster. These are sooo sweet! (Look below this post for their pix and descriptions.) Up for grabs is a set of Kissmas and Mistletoe, just in time to get on those cards. (I've got a design for most of my cards, but I'm tired of it already... bring on something new!)

Next week, AJ, my ten-year old, will be adding a kid's challenge!

I've been busy this weekend - here are a couple of projects, using Unity, of course!

A friend of mine just found out that she's having a girl. She's been called "Little Peanut" since we've known about her. When I saw this set, Shoestring or no, I had to have it!

For the pub call at PaperCrafts. Yes, I know I'm going to get rejected, but I'm a glutton for punishment...

We are sooooo excited to offer Ippity, the new, affordable line from Unity Stamp Company! Since we are on the Shoestring, we've got it at the lowest available price! Better yet, if you buy three sets or more, shipping is free! (Just want one or two? Shipping's a low flat rate of $5.)

I love the quality of Unity stamps! They make a real difference in my projects. The problem has always been the price. I just can't spend $24 or $35 for a set of stamps. It doesn't fit in the budget...

All stamp sets are 1/4 sheet.

First up is Kissmas and Mistletoe. This is such a fun and fresh set, and at $12, it's a real value!

Is this cute or what? There are so many possibilities with these primitives! The detail, especially on the ewe, is the difference between cheapies and Unity stamps! The deep-etching ensures that the image will stamp clearly, every time! $12

This oh-so-useful set is called "Because of You". When I invest in a set, it's got to be good for more than one holiday, etc. Definitely a lot going on here! $15

What a great tree! Again, the deep-etching willmake coloring with my Copics a breeze and makemy colors pop!

$12

Verses for so many occasions! $15

I'm bad about trying to use computer fonts for my sentiments to save money. They're not awful, but my cards always look better when the sentiments are stamped! $15

How's that for a preview? I've still got a couple of sets to get posted...

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Wow! It's been a crazy month! Got a huge shock when, in the middle of teaching fifth-grade reading, Central Office called (into my room! Egads!) to tell me that I was being reassigned to an overcrowded school just around the corner. Here's the kicker - I'm teaching kindergarten! Needless to say, I've been crazy-busy figuring out how to do that. Thanks to fab teammates and friends, it's finally getting under control, and I've got some creative downtime. This weekend - a card for my friend Jenn's Peanut-on-the-way and I've got to put some thank-you cards in the bank. With so many people being so generous lately, I'm running out!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Can't get much in today... BIL called, and - surprise! - they're coming to spend the night. Rats! I'm glad to see them and all, but I had a most triumphant freebie cruise planned for y'all this evening.

Still, here's what did get accomplished:Here's a paritally-finished paper page about DS making his Tae Kwon Do school's demo team. The words are the five tenets of Tae Kwon Do. Now, when I digiscrap, I can type vertically and horizontally, but not when I paper scrap.

Wordle.net makes the coolest word art by having you type in your text then arranging it for you in a variety of shapes and colors.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Holy cow! I just visited http://www.dafont.com/ , and got lots and lots of oh-so-cool, new FREE fonts! They have an incredible variety - I got a pretty handwriting, a bunch of graffiti fonts, even Elvish runes! (That should spice up some or ds's projects...)

Monday, August 31, 2009

Blue and white cardstock are from Bazzill. Inked up the white with Broken China Distress Ink. Stamp is Penny Black. Rhinestones are K & Company; font is LD Vanilla, and the frame for the greeting is from 2Peas "Frame It Up". I think the PP is from The Paper Studio.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

We went to Spartanburg last week toWofford College for the Panthers' training camp.Since even the preseason tickets are crazy expensive ($61 each for the nosebleeds!) this is our only opportunity to see the home team up close and personal. It's free to watch, and there was a lot to see!

I needed some patterned paper for the left side, but I don't have any football-themed stuff. It's easy to use up your scrap budget buying kits when you only need one piece, so it was time for a little creativity.

I googled 'football play' then asked for images, and got this:

Then I layered it on top of a piece of black paper I got from a 2Peas freebie kit, then dropped the opacity of the play to 35%. Ta-daaa!

Saturday, August 22, 2009

... because that's what's it's about when you're scrappin' on a shoestring! I'm on the shoestring for my cards, too, so I'm always looking for a way to adapt the supplies I already have to work with new techniques.

On the For the Love of Paper blog, Kimberly Crawford was showing off Spellbinders' new Impressabilities. They are sooooo cool! My first instinct - hit ebay and shop. Which I did, though,

I was good and only looked.

Then I went to my stash. I've got a Cuttlebug (scored for $52 total at Hobby Lobby) and several embossing folders. Could I ink up one of those and then emboss?

Distress Ink doesn't dry quickly, so as long as I discipline myself to wash them before I tuck them away, they clean up just fine. I also tried with a pigment ink, and had to do some serious scrubbing and I hadn't even let it dry. So, I'll stick with the Distress. Rock on, Tim Holtz!

Here's how:

1. Cut a piece of cardstock to folder size. Put a little removable adhesive to the top.

2. Ink up one side of the folder.

3. Place cardstock on the not-inked side and press the adhesive so the paper won't move.

4. Close the folder - be careful! Once the paper touches ink, it can't wiggle inside the folder, or it'll smear big-time.

About the Designer

I'm a fourth grade teacher, mom, and nerdy papercrafter. Twenty years into a teaching career, I'm an engaging teacher, but I want to create an engaging, minds-on, relevant classroom.
I don't do TPT because I believe in teamwork and sharing. The freebies posted here are for classroom use only and can be changed for that purpose. They may not be sold.

Paris

All content, including text, photographs, and samples are copyright 2012 by Elizabeth Clarke. They are shared here for your personal, non-commercial use. Any other use requires my written permission. Thank you